Friday, November 30, 2012

Waste-Not Garland & other bits

NEWS FLASH: I love makin' stuff. There is particular excitement with the hey I've got that stuff right here and I could make it into something else variety of making stuff. Enter my Waste-Not Garland made of small bits of fabric and scrap lengths of 3 harmonious yarns.
These particular harmonious yarns are actually skeins of Anchor's Tapestry Wool, but lengths of any unused skein would do fine. (A real news flash is that I will actually be introducing some palette packs of these beautiful wools similar to my other palettes of perle cotton and embroidery floss at the beginning of the year! Eight different palettes with 16 skeins in each! Can't wait. Anyway.)
I learned to slipknot very early in life so this process gives me the childhood warm fuzzies. I didn't know until years later that a slipknot chain is actually the first step in crochet. This is easy enough to do without a hook, but go ahead and use one if you'd like.

The process is like this:
:: Cut fabric scraps in strips about 1-1.5" wide, maybe about 7-8" long.
:: Trim 3 yarns each to same length of about 10-12 yards and treat them as one
:: Tie a common knot at one end of the yarns, then perform your first slip knot
:: Continue slipping through each knot by reaching your forefinger and thumb through the existing loop to pull up a new knot from the long slack of yarn, some tightening will be necessary as you goto keep the loops small
:: Every 7 or 8" you can slide a fabric strip through the current loop, then slip the next knot so that it tightens the strip of fabric well enough to cinch it in place.
I paired like prints of fabric wrong sides together and used them together so that there wouldn't be much wrong side showing anywhere- not an issue with the solids. This is fun and pretty much free if you have enough fabric and yarn laying around like me.
Also pretty addictive.

Other bits:
:: I am happy to report that I ran the WHOLE five mile race on Thanksgiving morning.
:: I have never run that far.
:: Right after my near tears of joy I almost immediately assumed the route plotters got it wrong, bc there is no way that I can run 5 straight miles.
:: No way
:: Jeff suggested something like maybe I should just be proud of myself
:: Assuming someone did something wrong just comes more naturally
:: However ever since, when someone asks me how Thanksgiving was they get an earful of bragging about my 5 mile run
:: I'll bet they're really wanting to know how the cooking, family, relaxing, blah blah boring was
:: It was all lovely
:: But mostly because I ran 5 miles first
:: Today after Jeff and I ate at our very most absolute favorite vegetarian Indian all you can eat buffet place in town called Woodlands (which I know of course there are few competitors in that category) we were so full that we got into the car and reclined the seats and just laid there like a couple of satiated lions after a huge kill for about 20 minutes. Couldn't even drive anywhere.

We are so weird.
Have a great weekend.
Scrap bags come free in my shop with any purchase of 50$ or more starting tomorrow through the end of the year.
lots of lovey, xo, AM

24 comments:

Thank you for this sweet idea! I love using the slipknot for things - so easy and pretty. The fabric strips are perfect for my Mom's Birthday Banner.It's great that you ran the 5 mile race and finished - Hooray!!!You're not weird, just cute :)Janet xoxo

It is a great feeling- the first time that I actually ran 2 miles I was shocked and yes - proud! that I did something that I never thought I could do. Now I can run twice that and once you can do that you feel like you can do anything, which you, our cutely weird sewing guru, show us every day!!

Way to go on the 5 miles. A quick sorta funny story: I once entered a 5K and the way they set up the course, you ran 1/2 of the 3.2 miles then turned back to the beginning for the 5K OR you could just keep going for the 10K, all the way around a big loop. Well, I felt so good at 1/2 the 5K that I talked myself into continuing the WHOLE WAY AROUND. I think I was the last one in at the finish line, but that was the first time I broke the 5K mark. It felt AWESOME! I remember sitting in a cafe afterward saying to my husband, "I ran twice as far as I thought I could today," over and over and over :).

What a precious idea. I will take my left overs from your fabrics I have used for my favorite pocket book from your book. My daughter will love it. Do not have a clue about the slip know but will google it. Thanks for the idea. genie

Isn't this a great time of the year to make use of bits and bobs of leftovers? I very much like the ease of your garland idea, and might try a variation myself.

I recently bought a paper punch with a 2 3/4 inch scalloped edge circle shape. It has so, so many uses. So far, I punched out a selection of varied old wrapping paper...some bronze or gold metallic, some varying pale ivory shades of tissue weight. Then, I used double-faced tape to attach these to a rolling window shade...I think the random arrangement of the circles looks a bit like a Japanese screen or kimono fabric.

That punch is going to get much more of a workout in the weeks to come!

My Husband and I loved eating at woodlands when we lived in Nashville. It was so nice because he used to work near the Parthenon so it was very close for him. We are coming back for a visit in a week and they are on the list.

Thank you for sharing ideas on your very nice blog. It is a nice blog and i love coming here very day and reading about your life. This is a nice blog and thank you very very much for showing me things to do in my room.

What a great way to use up scraps of all kinds! I, like you, have plenty of both so I must get on making some garland. Congratulations on completing the 5k, takes a great deal of strength and perseverance. You have every right to brag! Awesome post btw.

Happy Christmas Anna Maria Horner! Thank you so much for your beautiful fabric. I fell in love with your Lou Lou Thi designs last year and made my first quilt out of those flannels, which I have enjoyed ever since. Just a few days ago one of your voile's from that same line arrived and I can not get over how soft and silky it is.

Love your humurous post. Some blogs I read for the craftu things, other for the beautiful photo's of their corners of the world, yours because I love what you design/create AND because of the way you write!! Thanks, groetjes, Gerda

my posts by month

copyright notice

All images, text, and content on this site are the sole property of Anna Maria Horner and may not be used, copied or transmitted without the express consent of Anna Maria Horner. If you wish to link to this site or to a post from this site, GREAT! Just please give appropriate credit for content. Any other inquiries please email me at amATannamariahornerDOTcom.

Comments & Questions

I appreciate your input so much when you have the time to leave it. If you have questions related to a post, asking in the comments section a the perfect thing to do, and I try as best as I can to answer you in the comments section too. Sometimes I miss 'em. Sometimes you miss that it was answered in the post. But if its a life or death situation, you know, like a paint color, email me amATannamariahornerDOTcom.

Hello! Since 2006, this has been where I write what I am thinking while I am doing what I do. See what I do here.